Part 5

5Using pure water: Water used for performing ablution must be pure, so impure water is inadequate for performing ablution.

6Using legally-obtained water: If the water used for ablution is unlawfully acquired, or taken by force, ablution will not be valid.

7Being preceded by istinja’ or istijmar (when necessary as previously mentioned).

8Removing what may prevent water from reaching skin of the ablution organs: That is, the one performing ablution has to remove anything covering the organs of ablution, such as mud, dough, wax, accumulated dirt, thick paint, etc., in order to allow water to reach the skin of the organ directly without hindrance.

There are six obligatory acts, related to the organs of ablution:

1-Washing the whole face: Washing the whole face involves rinsing the mouth and the nose with water. Accordingly, one’s ablution is void if one washes one’s face without rinsing ‘both’ the mouth and the nose

with water. This is because the mouth and the nose belong to the face, and Allah, Exalted be He, says (regarding ablution), “.. Wash your faces...” (Qur'an: Al-M@idah: 6) Thus, Allah commands washing the whole face during ablution, so whoever disregards washing any part of the face is considered to be disobedient to the Command of Allah, Exalted be He. Moreover, the Prophet (PBUH) used to rinse his mouth and nose with water while performing ablution.

2-Washing the forearms including the elbows: Allah, Exalted be He, says, “..And your forearms to the elbows...” (Qur'an: AlMaidah: 6), i.e. washing them including the elbows, as the Prophet (PBUH) used to do according to a hadith narrated in this regard ‘Tt is also stated in another hadith that the Prophet (PBUH) “.. washed his hands (during ablution) until he reached the upper arms.”* This indicates that the elbows are included when washing the arms during ablution.

3-Wiping over the whole head: Wiping over the head includes the ears, for Allah, Exalted be He, says, “..And wipe over your heads...” (Qur'an: Al-M@idah: 6) Moreover, the Prophet (PBUH) said, “The ears are treated as part of the head.” (Related by Ibn Majah, Ad-Daraqutni, and other compilers of Hadithy Therefore, it is incorrect to abandon wiping over the ears, for it is insufficient to wipe over one part of the head and neglect another during ablution.

4-Washing the feet including the ankles: During ablution, the feet must be washed including the ankles, for Allah, Exalted be He, says, “And wash your feet to the ankles...” (Qur'an: Al-M@idah: 6) Here, the preposition ‘to’ means ‘with’ according to the hadiths pointing out how ablution is performed, and through which it is stated that the whole feet must be washed ‘including’ the ankles.

5-Sequence: The decreed sequence has to be observed while performing ablution. To clarify, one begins with washing the face, followed by the hands, then wipes over the head, and finally washes the feet, as clearly shown in the verse; Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles...”

The Prophet (PBUH) used to follow that order while performing ablution, saying:

“This is an ablution without which Allah does not accept any prayer” This is as related by Abi Dawad and other compilers of Hadith.

6-Succession: This means to wash the organs successively without any interval between washing two organs, i.e. the organs must be washed successively without pause, as much as possible.

Theseare the obligatory acts ofablution that must be fulfilled as commanded by Allah in His Ever-Glorious Book, the Qur'an.

Scholars disagree concerning the ruling on tasmiyah’ upon starting ablution; they differ whether it is an act of the Sunnah or an obligatory practice of ablution. At any rate, according to all Muslim scholars, it is permissible to start ablution with tasmiyah and it should not be abandoned,

The reason - Allah knows best - behind specifying those four organs for ablution (i.e. the face, hands, head, and the feet) may be because they are the commonest bodily parts related to sins, so their physical purification may be an indication of spiritual purification (from the sins committed by them). The Prophet (PBUH) has stated that whenever a Muslim washes one of these organs (during ablution), the misdeeds committed through it are remitted, and that such misdeeds fall and vanish with the flow of the water used for washing that organ, until the last drop of it. In addition, the Prophet (PBUH) enjoined saying the Two Testifications of Faith following washing these organs (ie. following ablution) as a sign of combining both physical and spiritual purity. The physical purity is achieved through washing those organs in the way prescribed by Allah in His Ever-Glorious Book, the Qur’én. As for the spiritual purity, it is achieved by uttering the Two Testifications of Faith that purify one from polytheism and disbelief.

In the last part of the aforesaid verse related to ablution, Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful.” (Qur'an: Al-M@idah: 6)

Thus, gentle reader, every Muslim has to know that Allah has decreed ablution in order to purify them from sins, and to complete His favor upon

them. Likewise, if you contemplate the opening of the same verse, “O you who have believed...” you will find that it is a generous, gentle call through which Allah, Glorified be He, addresses those who have faith, as they are the ones who will listen to, obey, abide by and benefit from what Allah says and enjoins. That was why the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“No one keeps being in a state of ablution except the believer.”

Whatever acts done in addition to the above-mentioned obligatory acts of ablution are deemed desirable; he who observes them will be rewarded and there will be no blame upon him who refrains from observing them. Hence, scholars call such acts as the acts of the Sunnah to be observed during ablution, or the desirable practices of ablution,

1Using siwdk (tooth-stick) during ablution: The virtues and the way of using siwdk have been previously clarified. In particular, siwak is to be used while rinsing the mouth with water during ablution, in order to ensure the cleanness of the mouth and to be ready for worshipping Allah, reciting His Ever-Glorious Book, Qur'an, and invoking Him, Almighty and Ever-Majestic be He.

2Starting ablution with washing the hands three times, before washing the face, as enjoined in various hadiths. This is also because the hands are the means through which one dips out water and washes the other organs, so washing the hands is regarded as insurance and a prerequisite for the purity of all the other parts of ablution.

3Starting with rinsing the mouth and the nose before washing the face, as stated in various hadiths. When one is not in a state of fasting, one should rinse them inside and out (making water spread all through the mouth, and sniffing water when rinsing the nose).

4Inserting one’s wet fingers into one’s (thick) beard, ensuring that water reaches all its parts, and washing one’s fingers and toes well, especially between them.

5Starting with the right organs before the left (as in washing the hands and the feet).

6Washing the face, hands and feet up to three times instead of once.

Thus, we have tackled the conditions, the obligatory acts, and the acts of the Sunnah to be observed during ablution. So, you, gentle reader, should learn them, and keep observing them whenever you perform ablution to ensure the legal perfection and validity of your ablution as well as the reward for it.

We ask Allah to grant us all more beneficial knowledge and guide us to the righteous deeds,

3 Abi Dawiid (134) [1/72], Al-Tirmidhi (37) [1/53], Ibn Majah (444) [1/262] and AdDaraqutni (353) [1/108].

4 Ibn Majah (419) [1/250], Aba Ya‘la (5598) and Ad-Daraqutni (257) [1/83].

Since you are now acquainted with the conditions, the obligatory acts, and the acts of the Sunnah to be observed during ablution, then you are aware of the proper way ablution is performed, which is an application of the above-mentioned rulings. Put differently, the perfect way of performing ablution is achieved by observing these conditions, obligatory acts, and acts of the Sunnah, which are derived from the texts of Shari'ah (Islamic Law). So, every Muslim has to spare no effort in observing them once he knew them, Allah willing.

1-Intention: To intend performing ablution for the acts of worship for which ablution is required, such as prayer and the like

4-To rinse the mouth three times and then to rinse the nose three times (by sniffing water and then blowing it out using the left hand)

5-To wash the face three times, from the upper part of the forehead (the beginning of the normal hairline) to the lower parts of the jaws lengthwise, and from one ear to the other widthwise (without washing the ears, as they are treated as part of the head, not the face, as previously mentioned). The beard, as well, must be washed; if the hair of the beard is not thick, one has to wash it internally and externally. But if it is thick, it has to be washed from the outside, and it is desirable to insert wet fingers washing it internally, as mentioned above.

6-To wash the hands up to the elbows three times; each hand is to be washed from the upper parts of the fingers and nails to the beginning of the upper arm. Moreover, one has to remove whatever sticks to the hands or the fingernails (such as dough, mud or thick paint) before washing them, so as to allow water to reach such parts.

7-To wipe over the whole head only once, including the ears, with wet hands (provided the water used for wiping over them is fresh one, unlike that remaining from washing hands). The proper way of wiping over the head is to be by putting one’s wet hands on the upper part of the forehead and let them pass backwards till they reach one’s nape, then return them forwards to the starting point. After that, one is to insert one’s two wet forefingers in the holes of the ears while wiping over their outer parts with one’s two thumbs.

8-To wash the feet three times including the ankles. As for one whose hand or foot is amputated, such one is to wash what is left of the arm or the feet. To clarify, if the arm is amputated from the joint of the elbow, one is to wash the front part of the upper arm, and if the foot is amputated from ankles, one is to wash the tip of the (amputated) leg; Allah, Exalted be He, says:

(Qur'an: At-Taghabun: 16) Similarly, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “If I command you to do something, then do (of) it as much as you can.”'

Accordingly, if a person washes what is left of an amputated limb, it will be sufficient as one thus does what one can.

9After finishing performing ablution, in accordance with the above stated form, one may raise one’s sight towards the heaven and invoke Allah with some of the invocations of the Prophet (PBUH) in this regard, such as saying:

“I testify that there is no deity but Allah, Alone, with no partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger. O Allah! Make me among those who are constantly repentant, and make me among those who purify themselves,”

“Exalted are You, O Allah, and all praise be to You. I testify that there is no deity but You. I ask You for forgiveness and turn to You in repentance,”

The reason behind mentioning dhikr’ and invocation following ablution is to combine both physical and spiritual purity, for ablution is a means of physical purity, whereas dhikr and invocation (implying monotheism and repentance) are signs of spiritual purity. In this way, one becomes in the most perfect state of purity (combining both physical and spiritual purity), and becomes pure enough to be admitted to stand before Allah (in prayer), imploring Him humbly and submissively.

By the way, it is all right to dry ones organs with a towel or the like after ablution.

Every Muslim has to know that ablution should be performed perfectly, ensuring that water reaches all parts of the organs washed during ablution, without negligence. To illustrate, when the Prophet (PBUH) saw a man who had left a spot on his foot, as small as a fingernail, unwashed (after ablution), he (PBUH) said to him, “Go back and perform ablution well.” Moreover, some of the Prophet's Companions reported that when the Prophet (PBUH) saw a man offering prayer while there was on the back of his foot a small part equal to the space of a dirham (an Arab coin) which was not washed, i.e. water did not reach it, he (PBUH) commanded him to re-perform both ablution and prayer”. In addition, the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Woe to the heels (if not washed during ablution) from the Fire!””

This is because one might be so reluctant concerning washing them that one washes them carelessly and water can hardly reach one's ankles during ablution and some spots remain unwashed, which causes them to be tortured in the Hellfire. Furthermore, in the hadith related by Aba Dawid and other compilers of Hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“The prayer of any of you is not complete until he performs ablution

perfectly, as Allah, Exalted be He, has ordered him. He should wash his face and hands up to the elbows, wipe over his head and (wash) his feet up to the ankles...”

However, Muslims should know that the perfection of ablution is not to use a lot of water, but it means to let water reach all parts of the organ being washed. In fact, mere over-use of water is regarded as prohibited wastefulness of water. Also, one may pour water wastefully during ablution without performing it perfectly; the perfection of ablution with little water is exactly what is legally enjoined. It is stated in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet (PBUH)

used to perform ablution with one mudd” and to take a bath with one sé" up to five mudds"’.

The Prophet (PBUH) also forbade wastefulness of water; once he (PBUH) passed by Sa‘d while the latter was performing ablution and said to him:

“Why are you wasting all this water?” Sa‘d said, “Is there wastefulness even in performing ablution?” The Prophet (PBUH) replied, “Yes, even if you were performing it from a river of running water.”

This hadith was related by Ahmad and Ibn Majah, and supported by other narrations". The Prophet (PBUH) also stated that there would be some people of the Muslim nation who would exceed the limits in purification, i.e. who would purify themselves excessively, wastefully and having unsubstantiated doubt". He (PBUH) also said:

“There is a demon of ablution called Al-Walhan, so be on your guard against insinuation in ablution?"

Excessiveness in pouring water, which is considered wastefulness, leads to other illegal, detestable consequences, such as:

Incomplete purification: One may depend on using water in abundance during ablution and so does not make sure that water reaches all parts of the organs, Consequently, some spots may remain unwashed while one is unaware. Hence, one’s ablution becomes incomplete and thus one performs prayer without purification.

Excessiveness in worship: Ablution is an act of worship, and if any act of worship is excessively performed, it becomes void.

Insinuation in purification: One may get insinuation and be doubtful concerning purification due to excessiveness in using water while performing ablution.

In fact, the best way to avoid the aforesaid consequences is to follow in the Prophet's footsteps and abide by his Sunnah, for the most evil of (religious) matters are those newly innovated. May Allah guide us all to that which He likes and to what pleases Him.

To sum up, you have, dear gentle reader, to be keen to ensure that your ablution and all the other acts of worship are legally and perfectly observed, with neither excessiveness nor negligence, for both extremes are dispraised, and moderation is the best of all matters. Negligence in acts of worship makes them imperfect, and excessiveness makes them subject to religious innovations; following the example of the Prophet (PBUH) and abiding by his Sunnah is the optimum way to perform acts of worship with due perfection. O Allah, make us know what is right and guide us to follow it, make us know what is wrong and guide us to avoid it, and do not make things obscure for us, lest we may